Meeting Michele Berdy

Written by Malisa Manning, a Louisiana State University Sophomore

On April 24th, thanks to Dr. Layfield, we had the opportunity to meet with Michele A. Berdy, a writer from The Moscow Times. Ms. Berdy has been working and living in Russia for nearly 30 years. Besides being a writer, she has translated fiction and nonfiction books, produced documentaries and talk shows, co-authored an English-Russian dictionary, interpreted for people such as Boris Yeltsin and Nancy Reagan, and lastly she founded a non-government organization that promotes healthy living all across Russia. Dr. Layfield did everything he could to have her meet us,

Ms. Berdy quickly connects with the students by sharing her extensive experiences in Russia.

both because he thought it would be a good experience to meet with an American that had lived in Russia before and after the collapse of the Soviet Union and because he wanted us to learn about campaigning from a person who had already started their own healthy living campaign. At first, all of us were quite shy, but Ms. Berdy’s personality was very open and fun and it did not take long before we were tossing out questions about her life and work. She was very gracious and answered everything with a smile. Many of the American students had questions about living during Soviet times versus the present. She said that one of the biggest differences during Soviet times was that most foreigners were extremely isolated, almost to the point

Following Ms. Berdy's presentation, the students were eager to have a picture for memories.

that the only people who would talk to them for any length of time were underground artists, actors, and musicians. Another difference was the limited communication. She said that if she wanted to call home she would have to order the call several days in advance. As we started asking questions about campaigning, she showed us part of her own campaign, enforcing what we had learned in Dr. Layfield’s class and adding a few more tips here and there as she went. Overall, meeting with Ms. Berdy was a delight and an excellent learning experience. All the students were extremely grateful to Dr. Layfield for putting in so much work to bring her to us and to Ms. Berdy herself for taking the time to meet with us. The information on Michele Berdy was from our meeting with her and from the short biography written by J. Quinn Martin at the website: http://www3.amherst.edu/magazine/issues/04summer/berdy/index.html

Also in this Issue...

"Our first stop upon arriving was touring the impressive Hermitage art museum. It is one of the largest museums in the world, with over three million pieces of art, and houses such notable classics as works by Michelangelo, Rembrandt, and Da Vinci. "

"Once we entered the mausoleum, we quickly noticed how dark it was and it took our eyes a moment to adjust. We walked down one staircase and entered the chamber housing Lenin’s sarcophagus. I was surprised by how far it was from the viewing platform. The glass-walled casket was draped with dark fabric and there was a light inside illuminating his upper body."

"As we get ready to leave, we are finally rewarded with the jewels of the city that had laid hidden for what seemed like an eternity. Just outside of the Kremlin wall, in the Alexander Gardens, flowers bloom, children run about, and the flowing water animates the fountains, which the gardens are known for. "

Issue Photographer: Blaise Nicklas

Issue Reviewer: Blaise Nicklas

Weekend Trip to St. Petersburg

Written by Aidan Lowe, a Clemson University Sophomore

Aidan Lowe

Russia has two major cities, Moscow and St. Petersburg. Moscow is the exciting, fast-paced capital city that strives to be a modern metropolis. St. Petersburg is located in the north and is slower paced and charming with its series of canals and brightly colored buildings with breathtaking architecture. Our second-to-last weekend in Russia was a treat, as we spent three days in St. Petersburg. It began with a 3:30 AM train ride to the city, and was the first time any of us had traveled on an overnight train. Our first stop upon arriving was touring the impressive Hermitage art museum. It is one of the largest museums in the world, with over three million pieces of art, and houses such notable classics as works by Michelangelo, Rembrandt, and Da Vinci. Afterwards, we had a bus tour and viewed all of

The State Hermitage Museum (also known as the Winter Palace) holds more than 3 milllion pieces of art.

the major tourist destinations in the city, including the ship Aurora, the Cathedral on the Spilt Blood, and the Peter and Paul Fortress.

On Saturday, we had an early start at the Peter and Paul Cathedral, where many of Russia’s tsars are buried.

Our tour guide explained the rich history behind each of this country’s rulers. In the afternoon we headed to the picturesque town of Pushkin, home of both Catherine the Second’s palace and the former school of Pushkin, Russia’s beloved poet. We were amazed by the extensive restoration that was performed on the palace following its destruction by German bombs in World War II. We were amazed by the famous Amber Room, with three walls completely covered in pieces of amber.

Students take in the view of the entrance to the Hermitage.

Sunday was our last day in the city, and we spent the morning touring three cathedrals, including St. Issac’s, where we climbed 230 steps and viewed St. Petersburg from the church rotunda. It was fascinating to have a bird’s eye view of this coastal metropolis. In the afternoon we visited Pushkin’s apartment and had lunch at a delicious café, afterwards enjoying the late-afternoon sun at a local park.

Although there is disagreement among the American students over which city is better, we can all agree that St. Petersburg resembles Western Europe more than Moscow and has a unique charm. Although we viewed most of the main sights, we would all like to to return for a more extensive vacation. I would personally enjoy returning during the summer months when St. Petersburg experiences White Nights, when the town is illuminated nearly 24 hours a day by sunlight.

Lenin's Mausoleum

Written by Blaise Nicklas, an Edinboro University Junior attending Penn State this semester

Blaise Nicklas

Recently, Aidan, Malisa, and I decided that we hadn’t done justice to all that Red Square has to offer in our previous visits. We had yet to visit Lenin’s Mausoleum, one of the square’s most famous landmarks. So we set a date for the weekend to visit the final resting place of Lenin, a titan of the Soviet Union.

Lenin’s Mausoleum, completed in 1930, is constructed of many different kinds of stone, such as marble, porphyry, granite, and labradorite. It houses the body of Vladimir Ilich Lenin, principal leader of the October Revolution and the first head of the Soviet Union. His name and likeness are still visible all around Moscow, especially in the metro. We arrived around ten that morning to line up for our chance to take a look inside the mausoleum. After a short wait and turning over our cameras, which are banned inside the mausoleum, we passed through metal detectors and walked along the Kremlin Wall Necropolis. Here, former leaders and heroes of the Soviet Union are buried. Even one American, John Reed, a communist who aided the October Revolution, was laid to rest here. Once we entered the mausoleum, we quickly noticed how dark it was and it took our eyes a moment to adjust.

We walked down one staircase and entered the chamber housing Lenin’s sarcophagus. I was surprised by how far it was from the viewing platform. The glass-walled casket was draped with dark fabric and there was a light inside illuminating his upper body. The experience was about as macabre as one would expect, but I found it interesting nevertheless. No more than twenty seconds after we entered the viewing area, we had left it and made our way up a flight of steps to the outside again. There is no time for pausing inside the mausoleum. A steady stream of visitors constantly flows through. On the other side of the necropolis, we saw the graves

Lenin's likeness can be found in numerous artistiic expressions throughout Russia, including the Metro in Moscow.

of other Soviet officials, such as Felix Dzerzhinsky, Josef Stalin, and Premier Konstantin Chernenko, who died in March 1985 and was the last person buried in the necropolis. For about eight years, Stalin lay alongside Lenin in the mausoleum, but his body was removed and reburied during the reign of Nikita Khrushchev.

Our visit to Lenin’s Mausoleum was a fascinating one, given the tremendous impact he had on Russia and the world. Though the Soviet Union may no longer exist, his significance cannot be overstated. It was an outing I will not soon forget.

Spring At Last

Written by William Nelson, a Clemson University Sophomore

William Nelson

After the long, frigid, seemingly never-ending winter that Moscow is infamous for, spring has finally arrived in full force. Just across the street, the group of American students has watched ice give way to lifeless brown grass, the lifeless grass giving way to greenery, and finally the budding flowers bursting into a kaleidoscope of

A view of the gardens in Alexander Park with the scenic Kremlin background.

colors. Moscow is known for its extensive gardens, and now in these gardens, tulips are exploding with color, finally adding life and color to the slate gray city that we landed in early in January.

As we get ready to leave, we are finally rewarded with the jewels of the city that had laid hidden for what seemed like an eternity. Just outside of the Kremlin wall, in the Alexander Gardens, flowers bloom, children run about, and the

A statue of stallions emerges from the fountains in Alexander Park.

flowing water animates the fountains, which the gardens are known for. Moscow is a sight for sore eyes for those weary travelers that survived the cold dreary scenery of the city’s winter. Recently our group was treated with a trip north to the city of St. Petersburg. Not to discount the amazing museums that we were able to tour, but the most remarkable part of St. Petersburg were the gardens and parks, which like the green spaces in Moscow, were filled with flowing fountains and flowering plants. Returning home in a few days will be a welcome event, but I do wish that we were all able to enjoy this beautiful weather and stunning city for just a few more days.